NHS breaks through, downs Mac 51-36

High school round-up  Tigers close the game on a 24-9 run to earn their first conference win Friday

Sometimes its good to see red.

Mired in a nine-game losing streak, apparently rival McMinnville was exactly what the Newberg High School girls basketball team needed to see Friday night.

Frustrated by several close losses, inconsistent play from quarter to quarter and a rash of poor shooting, the Tigers turned it around against the Grizzlies, dominating the final 11 minutes of the game to win 51-36.

Its not for lack of effort, theyve played hard, head coach Tami Woginrich said. We havent been able to shoot and its just been a cascading thing.

Newbergs shooting woes were evident in a 62-49 loss at Forest Grove on Jan. 28, but the Tigers shot 20-for-51 against McMinnville.

We started focusing on other things and it seemed to help, Woginrich said. Thats the best weve shot in a long time. That was really good shooting and I think they just finally relaxed.

Newberg controlled the first half, but its five-point halftime lead evaporating in the third, as the Grizzlies took advantage of some sloppy turnovers to knot the contest 27-27 with 2:47 to play in the quarter.

Woginrich called a timeout to settle her troops, choosing to redeploy a full-court press and after that it was all Tigers.

Newberg turned steals and turnovers into easy baskets, closing the quarter on a 12-2 run and limited to seven points in the fourth.

For a change, the Tigers dominated the glass, with sophomore forward Christina Bryan hauling in 13 to go along with her 10 points. Junior Center Tori Eicthen led the team with 14 points and also grabbed 10 boards.

Woginrich is hoping to reverse some of the teams close losses as Newberg makes its way through the second half of the league schedule, beginning with a trip to Hillsboro on Friday. After that, the Tigers will play five of the last six games at home.

A win can do wonders, Woginrich said. I told them I think we just punched through a ceiling. We just needed one win to get their confidence.

Boys swimming

Newberg 109, Glencoe 57  The Tigers won all three relays and won six individual races. Bjorn Larsen was a double winner, taking first in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke. Craig Beecher also earned a pair of wins, touching first in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Also winning were David Flores Juarez in the 500 free and Spencer McMaster in the 100 free.

Girls swimming

Glencoe 88, Newberg 78  The Tigers two wins came in the 200 freestyle relay and the 100 free. Casey Jentges, Katie Kisling, Katrina Reichenbach and Elizabeth Andrews teamed up to win the relay, with Andrews also winning the 100. Newberg will host Tigard on Thursday in its final Pacific Conference dual meet.

Girls basketball

Country Christian 42, C.S. Lewis Academy 33  The Watchmen led the league-leading Cougars 19-13 at halftime and 27-26 after three quarters, but could not muster enough offense in the fourth. Lana Friedrich paced C.S. Lewis with 19 points, with Katelyn Reimer adding six.

C.S. Lewis Academy 33, Jewell 30  The visiting Blue Jays made a run in the fourth quarter, but the Watchmen held on for a crucial victory that moves them into a tie for fourth place with Jewell. Friedrich again led CSLA with 14 points and Lydia Pia scored eight.

Boys basketball

St. Paul 61, Falls City 19  Tyler Smith scored 12 points for the Bucks, who also got 11 from Cody Faber and 10 from Joe Hiller.

Country Christian 54, St. Paul 32  The Bucks simply shot and rebounded too poorly to keep up with the league-leading Cougars, who jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the first quarter. Smith and Ryan Soumokil scored 10 points apiece for St. Paul, which remains in a tie with Perrydale for the fifth and final district playoff spot.

Cheerleading

Clackamas tournament  Newberg won its sixth competition this season with its best performance to date. We added a lot more difficulty and it was by far the best one this year, head coach Lisa Berg said. The level of difficulty that was put in and that we hit it was amazing. Newberg will compete at the Oregon Elite meet Saturday in Salem before heading to Portland for the state competition Feb. 15.